Cateys 2026: Menu of the Year – Shwen Shwen

Maria Bradford’s determination to push boundaries has been rewarded with an extraordinary run of accolades: a Bib Gourmand in February, Michelin’s Opening of the Year award just a week later and now, a thoroughly well-deserved Catey.

 

Bradford opened her debut restaurant, Shwen Shwen in Sevenoaks, Kent, as an ode to her West African roots and growing up in Sierra Leone.

 

She has embraced the term fusion – reclaiming it from its dated, sometimes gimmicky past – by blending West African ingredients, spice blends and cooking styles with European ingredients and techniques.“I insist on pushing boundaries and I think it should be something we should encourage more,” she told The Caterer.

 

Her ethos on fusion runs deep – even the restaurant’s name is rooted in it. The word ‘shwen’ means ‘fancy’ in Krio, the most widely spoken language in Sierra Leone. After Bradford posted a recipe online for a deconstructed pepper soup, where the traditional broth and steamed fish is paired with bok choy, social media declared it “fancy soup” and the name stuck.

 

Before opening her restaurant, Bradford had several roles: she was an accountant, she ran a catering company, she sold her own sauces online and she offered ad hoc supper clubs in London. After enrolling at Leith’s School of Food and Wine to learn more about European techniques, she went on to write her first cookbook, Sweet Salone: Recipes from the Heart of Sierra Leone, in 2023, which formed the foundations for the restaurant.

 

Shwen Shwen spans three floors and has 40 covers, with the potential for 20 more outside in the courtyard. The interiors are a celebration of colour, with terracotta walls and chairs and cushions covered in traditional Sierra Leonean kpokpo patterned fabric in bold yellows, oranges, reds and blues. The menu is concise, split into snacks, small plates, sharing plates for two, sides and puddings. There is also a chef’s choice menu and a vegan version, which cherry-picks from the à la carte dishes and offers optional wine pairings.

 

Among the dishes is one of bone marrow with puffed rice and a fermented chilli and honey flatbread, where Bradford uses the complex smokiness of traditional spice. “We don’t have bone marrow [in Sierra Leone], but mixing spice with it and the puffed rice introduces it in a way that people will enjoy, so it’s an easy transition,” she says.

 

The flatbread is inspired by a cooking course Bradford took in Sri Lanka. To make it she blends fermented chillies with fresh thyme, garlic, red onions and honey, and then leaves the mix for a minimum of three weeks. It’s then blitzed with butter and brushed on a bread made with coconut oil.

 

The octopus dish on the small plates menu – kankankan octopus, romesco and basil – is inspired by a trip to Javier in Spain. She braises the octopus for 45 minutes in kankankan spices (a nutty and smoky blend of roasted peanuts, ginger, garlic and smoked paprika) and finishes the octopus on the grill. When developing the dish, Bradford wanted to add West African smokiness to the romesco, “so I added ancho pepper, which gives a different depth, and some scotch bonnet as well”.

 

For the desserts, Bradford likes to use moringa and hibiscus when possible, both of which are traditional in West African cooking, but can be hard to get hold of. She also struggles to find key African spices and has to import them or rely on family bringing them when they visit. “The more West African restaurants there are, and the more people write about African ingredients, the more suppliers are willing to stock them,” she says.

 

Though Shwen Shwen only opened last summer, Bradford’s ambitions stretch beyond the kitchen, with plans to host events to teach people about African culture and food. “I feel the UK is ready,” she says. The Menu of the Year accolade will certainly help spread the word.

 

What the judges said

“Maria is creating and cooking something unique and exciting, driven through her soul and heritage. She has also risked a lot to open her own restaurant and follow her dream.” Kirk Haworth

 

“Maria’s menu is bright, bold and original with her heart clearly represented on each plate.” Sally Abé

 

“Interesting, tasty food that looks absolutely beautiful. This is exciting cooking.” Roberta Hall-McCarron

 

Shortlist

• DakaDaka, London
• Food Leigh on Sea, Essex
• Shwen Shwen, Sevenoaks, Kent
• Skof, Manchester

The judges

• Sally Abé, Teal by Sally Abé
• Giovanna Grossi, Giovanna Grossi Hospitality
• Kirk Haworth, Plates
• David Moore, Pied à Terre
• Roberta Hall-McCarron, the Little Chartroom